turkeys? in the trees

huffing my way up the steep west side of the ridge trying in vain to keep up with the dog, I pause at the top to catch my breath near one of the old bullwheels from an old ski lift from an area possibly forgotten.

There's a short, steep pitch rising up above a parallel trail following a stream down below. The trail has been cut into the earth by feet and runoff; time, and use without maintenance compounding each other's effects. As the slope levels off at the top, I pass by a couple wheels nailed to trees, remnants of a ski pull from perhaps fifty years ago. (The trees in the area are fairly uniform so it's hard to tell where the ski trail was- my guess is the whole slope was open back then. There's no mention of this ski area on the New England Lost Ski Areas Project (nelsap.org))

Today as I crested the rise to where the trail levels out, I was stopped by a loud thwack from a tree ahead of me. I covered my head, and looked, expecting a branch to come down ahead of me. Another thwack and some rustling and I watched as what I think was a turkey vulture (or a turkey? It WAS getting dark) launched itself from a branch perhaps 20' in the air and flew off, thwacking into other branches as it made its awkward escape. No sooner had that one left my sight but another loud noise behind me and another lumbering bird bumbled its way through the branches and away. I disturbed a total of four or five big birds in this way. I don't think I've ever observed a bird so apparently out of its element.

I looped around to the water tower and back down the trail that parallels this first one, this time gradually dropping along the little stream, a great chance to stretch my legs out as the trail drops steadily. Then it's around the outskirts, past the back of the nursing home, up to the water tower and back on the road and out to the car. The last bit of road running was because the woods were becoming too dark on which to run.

A dusting on top of last week's snow. Some ice and rain tonight, more snow for thursday and hopefully a lot more for this weekend. With any luck people will keep helping me pack it down so my snowshoeing and running can continue. If not, I'll just have to find some used cross country skis!